Frog Tape Review

My first meeting with Frog Tape started like many an adventure story: by the checkouts at B&Q. It was in those wire bins by the till. An upsell. You know, ‘chuck it in, it might work’.

So I did. And let me tell you, it has changed my life*.

*(At least, the bits of my life where I’m painting a wall.)

What is Frog Tape?

Frog Tape – or FrogTape® – is a modern replacement for painter’s tape or masking tape. It has special PaintBlock® technology, which stops the wet paint seeping under the tape.

Frog Tape is sold by Shurtape Technologies, an American company that also sells the Duck Tape brand.

It comes in three varieties, green, yellow, and blue.

• Green Frog Tape is the standard. This is what I used.
• Yellow Frog Tape is for delicate surfaces. It’s less tacky, to avoid tearing off certain finishes.
• Blue Frog Tape is more heavy duty, and tackier. For metal and glass.

Does Frog Tape Work?

Yes. Absolutely. Yes, it does.

I tested it on the second half of a paint job in our kitchen and up our stairwell. The first half had happened nearly 5 months ago (no need to rush, is there?) and was completed using primitive, non-froggy tape.

The difference was pretty astonishing.

What I first noticed about frog tape was the lack of stretch. Masking tape often contorts when pulled tight, and can leave little curved sections to the edge. 

I needed a perfectly straight line, as I wanted to paint only part way up the stairwell (see below). I had pitched this as a ‘feature stairwell’. The main feature being that it would be a lot cheaper, and also avoided too many ladders. 

I was able to get a perfectly straight line with the frog tape. It stuck really firm, unlike masking tape which sometimes peels away on certain finishes. Then, once the paint had dried, came the big reveal.

Would the frog tape do what it said? Leave a crisp line, with no seepage underneath, no fuzzy edges, and no damage to the paintwork?

Yes. It did exactly that. Which is why, I presume, it’s now in all the wire bins next to the checkouts at B&Q. 

Is Frog Tape worth it?

Frog tape costs 14p per metre. Masking tape costs 6-10p, and blue painter’s tape costs 12p. So frog tape is 17% more expensive than the closest alternative, and roughly double the price of masking tape.

It sounds like a lot. But it’s faster to put up than masking tape, and it’ll save on all those little touch-up jobs later. 

In most cases, it’s well worth it. You won’t feel that extra expense if you’re only painting a couple of rooms. And for a whole property it’ll add maybe £20 to the overall cost. 

Obviously if you’re painting more than that, you might want to think twice. Then again, if you’re painting more than that, you’re probably a professional painter and decorator. And professionals don’t really use tape anyway.

But I’ll use it. I need the help.